A patient bed equipped with at least one side barrier preventing the patient from falling is known to the prior art. For example, two lateral barriers are arranged along a common lengthwise side of the bed frame, a lateral barrier known as the head barrier element and a lateral barrier known as the foot barrier element. In the upright position, the two barriers are aligned one along the extension of the other and prevent the patient from falling. However, these two barriers are independently moveable relative to each other so that an exit space can be opened. When the patient's condition permits it, he or she can sit on the edge of the bed next to the head barrier element and stand up by sliding vertically while using at least one of the barriers for support.
When the barrier which the patient is holding during this movement is too close to the edge of the bed, the patient's center of gravity is in front of the support point, which can lead to a loss of balance and a fall.
A system is known in which the end of the barrier of the exit space side is configured as a gate pivot-mounted about a vertical axis. This allows the patient to shift his or her support point outwardly when he or she stands up at the side of the bed. Nevertheless, a disadvantage resides in this system in that it does not permit a controlled offset of the support point compatible with the stability of the bed. If, for example, the patient is overweight and if the patient puts his or her weight on the gate at a point too far out from the bed, the bed could move, causing the patient to lose his or her balance and fall. Furthermore, this gate system makes compliance with the norms defining the width of the exit space difficult. If the gate is too wide, it is necessary to provide enough space in the room for its deployment, and the possibility that the patient could grasp it at a point too far from the edge of the bed increases the risk of the bed tipping. The invention makes it possible to overcome these disadvantages by proposing a barrier system that is at least partially tiltable with a controlled offset compatible with the stability of the bed.